Thirst
by One1Red
Summary: A story about cravings, both physical and emotional. Set after Season 6. YoBling. Maybe a little Snickers too.
1. Chapter 1

She could feel the bead of sweat slowly making its way down her forehead, heading straight for her eyes...

"Damn this heat!" Catherine cursed for the sixth time in less than an hour. She wiped her brow and stood up from her crouching position. She and Nick had been called out to Death Valley and the scene of a body dump. They had arrived just before dawn when it was still fairly cool, but the day just kept getting hotter and hotter. David had arrived and had taken away their Jane Doe, so it was now just the two of them left processing the scene.

With the unrelenting sun beating down on their backs it felt like they were in an oven. About an hour ago, Nick had checked the outside temperature gage in his Denali and had groaned when he'd seen the number.

"Cath, I think I'm hallucinating…it says it's 130°F out here!"

Vegas could get hot, _really hot_, but this was one of those scorchers that would go down in history. "It's days like this that make a girl long for the next ice age" Catherine thought to herself, chuckling.

"Hey, Nick! You almost done with the perimeter?"

"Yeah, I'll be done in a couple. Why don't you get out of this heat and I'll catch you back at the lab." He turned to her and grinned. "While I appreciate the company, I really don't need a babysitter".

"Okay big guy, just make sure you stay hydrated. The last thing I want to do is come back out here to process your dried up carcass after you've died of thirst"

Catherine smiled and walked back to her SUV. She placed the evidence bags in the back and turned on the air-conditioning full blast. As she pulled onto the highway, all she could think about was the end of her shift and going for a nice, long swim.

* * *

Back in Vegas, Warrick and Greg were just finishing up with a scene of their own; a home invasion gone horribly wrong. A couple of doped-up, punk kids had thought it would be fun to terrify an old woman and steal all her cash and jewels. What they hadn't counted on was the fact that the little old lady was packing - a nine millimeter to be precise.

She'd shot one guy in the shoulder, but the other one hadn't been so lucky. She had clipped his carotid artery and he'd bled out within minutes, dying where he fell, just inside the door of her bedroom. Detective Brass had taken her statement and had gone back to the station to question her further.

Greg and Warrick were still talking about what Brass had told them before he left. "A gift from her son…What was he thinking?" Greg asked, incredulous.

"Yeah", Warrick replied. "What makes it even harder to understand is that he gave her the gun as a Mother's Day present, _and_ paid for time at the shooting range so she could learn how to protect herself from the good citizens of Sin City."

"So Warrick, would you ever consider giving your grandmother a pistol?"

"No way man!" Warrick answered shaking his head. "My Grams already _is_ a pistol, she doesn't need a gun. She can subdue anyone that gets out of line with just one look and a few choice words. Believe me; no criminal would stand a chance"

Greg smiled at the mental picture that flashed before his eyes. It was kind of funny that such a little woman like "Grams" could put the fear of God into such a big, strong man like Warrick. "Okay, I think we're done here. Let's pack it in and head for some air-conditioning. I want to get out of this furnace and find me some cool"

Warrick nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan, but can we stop on the way to pick up something cold to drink? This crazy heat is making me thirsty"


	2. Chapter 2

**Just a quick note for those of you waiting for some Snickers: My primary focus is, and always will be, YoBling, so I won't be doing a whole lot of Sara + Nick. However, I am in the middle of figuring out how to do away with GSR (my apologies to all the GSR shippers). Be patient, I'll figure it out eventually. Until then, enjoy the YoBling!**

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The hours passed as the sun burned its way across the cloudless, blue sky. The temperature was increasing, but Las Vegas kept on rolling as if it was just an ordinary day. Catherine marveled that the city never even paused to take a breath. Extreme heat advisories, desert droughts, flash floods - not one of these ever stopped the slot machines from spinning, or the pleasure-seekers from searching for the next big thrill.

There was only one problem; the crime lab didn't have the same stamina as the Strip. With the rising heat, and a weather forecast that promised at least another two days of the same, both state and local government agencies had been issued an order, "_Conserve all resources_."

"Resources my ass," thought Catherine. Basically, what it meant was that the air-conditioning was turned down so low that it might as well have been off. On a day like today, that spelled disaster. Catherine was hot, tired and grumpy, and she couldn't stop fantasizing about swimming, even though she realized that such a refreshing experience was hours away.

"Dammit, who are you?" she asked in a frustrated tone.

The evidence from Death Valley was not providing any answers, and Catherine's patience was wearing thin. She knew that the dead didn't care how hot it was, and they _certainly_ didn't care that she was working back to back shifts. They rested quietly, waiting to share their secrets, but this Jane Doe wasn't sharing anything.

Catherine leaned back to grab a bottle of water from her file cabinet and caught sight of her favorite photograph - Lindsey. She smiled and thought to herself, "Well, at least there's one girl that won't be creating any drama for me for a whole glorious month."

Peace had descended on the Willows' household, because Sam, Lindsey and Catherine's mom had all left in the Braun private jet for a month-long vacation in the south of France. While there were times that Catherine questioned Sam's motives, she knew that he loved his granddaughter and would do anything for her. It was going to be the trip of a lifetime for her baby girl.

"So, why the Hell didn't you go with them Cath?" she asked herself.

The seconds passed as Catherine tried to figure that out. "Yeah, why is it that I'm not laying on the beach in St. Tropez?"

Nothing but silence greeted her question. But then, a small voice started to break out of the stillness.

"_Warrick_."

She groaned inwardly. This was not the answer she wanted to hear. The voice became more insistent.

"_Admit it; you can't stand to be away from him for long_."

Catherine banged her fist on the table in irritation. "Stop it!" She took a deep breath and then tried to reason with herself. "He's married and completely unavailable. Get over it girl, because that fantasy is old news."

Her inner voice didn't let up. "_Are you sure?_"

Catherine took a swig of water, and rubbed her temples in a futile effort to try and ease away some of the tension building up behind her eyes.

"Okay, enough with the drama already. It's time to focus on what's _really_ important - Jane Doe."

She sighed, and turned her thoughts back to the file.

"This evidence is getting me nowhere fast. I think it's time to go get Nicky and visit the morgue."

As Catherine got up to leave her office, she offered up a small prayer in hopes that David had found a way to converse with the dead.

* * *

In comparison with Catherine's ongoing struggle, Warrick and Greg had gotten off easy with their assignment. Almost as soon as their case had been opened, it had been shut. Warrick even managed to get home and grab a few hours of sleep before the night shift started. 

The guy with the shoulder wound had survived, but faced serious time in juvenile detention. Pistol Patty, as she had been nicknamed by the press, had been booked for manslaughter. Granted, it wasn't a happy ending, but it could've been much worse.

Having grown up in Las Vegas, Warrick knew that the city was not kind. It lured people in with eternal beauty and seductive promises, but always exacted a price. Vegas had a nasty habit of spitting you out all bruised and broken if you got too close to the illusion. Thankfully, Warrick had managed to get out of the race before the beast had chewed him up too badly. Working as a CSI challenged him and helped him find a new, positive direction. In fact, his life had never been so good, so uncomplicated.

"Well, maybe not so uncomplicated," he thought as he spotted Catherine walking towards him.

Warrick took a deep breath and smiled. "Hey, Catherine."

As she got nearer, he looked into her eyes. Warrick searched for the spark that used to greet him whenever they saw each other, but it was gone. She gave him a quick nod and walked right by him, as if he was part of the furniture.

Ever since Catherine had found out about his marriage, things between them had been awkward, to say the least. Warrick had tried to ask her what was wrong, but that had only made things even _more_ uncomfortable. So, finally, he decided to pretend that nothing had happened and went back to treating her like he always did. His plan worked, but not for very long.

As near as he could figure, Cath had started building protective walls around herself right after Hodges "reprimanded" them for flirting. Bit by bit she pushed him away until all that was left between them was polite, businesslike conversation. Hell, who was he kidding, she had shut him out completely.

Even during the emotional days following Brass' shooting, when it was obvious she needed someone to lean on, she wouldn't let him in. After a while, he gave up trying to get past her defenses and resigned himself to her detachment. But now, he needed to break through those walls, and he didn't know where to begin.

"Damn Hodges and his big mouth…" he cursed silently to himself. "…Damn."

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a voice interrupted his train of thought.

"You say something Rick?"

"What? Oh, hey Nick…Nah, it was nothing. I was just complaining about the heat."

"Well, it looks like you may not be the only one in the lab that's on fire. I just had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of a Catherine Willows tongue-lashing. I have no idea what set her off, but she's _definitely_ on the warpath. You wouldn't happen to know what's going on. Would you?" Nick asked.

Warrick looked at him and laughed. "Sure buddy, I'm the Amazing Kreskin and can read her mind. Remember, she isn't talking to me anymore."

"What? You haven't straightened things out yet?" Nick asked, surprised. "You've _gotta_ tell her soon man, before she finds out from someone else."

"Yeah, I totally agree, but I don't know how to get her to stop running away, how to get her to listen to me," Warrick grumbled.

Nick pondered Warrick's problem for a few seconds, and then an idea came to him. "Do you remember the time I told you about that summer job I had in high school? You know, the one working on the ranch in Montana?" Warrick nodded.

"Well, while I was there I learned something interesting that actually might come in handy in this situation."

"Go ahead, I'm listening," said Warrick, intrigued.

"Picture yourself back in the days of the Wild West. Let's say you're up in the hills, riding, and you've spotted a wild horse, a Mustang. It's a beautiful, powerful animal and you decide you want to make it your own. Problem is, the horse gets spooked every time you try and get near it and it gallops away. Sort of like what Cath does when she sees you, right?"

"Okay…" Warrick replied hesitantly, not really sure where Nick was going with his narrative.

"Back then, if you had asked any cowboy for advice, they would have told you, 'Ride as fast as you can in pursuit and try to lasso the Mustang before it gets away.' Maybe that's what you need to do with Catherine."

Warrick looked at Nick like he had two heads. "What? Run after her, tackle her and tie her up? Somehow I don't think she'll be too happy about that."

Nick rolled his eyes. "No, I don't mean tie her up literally! The point is; if she won't stop on her own to listen, then _you_ have to make her stop. Sometimes you've got to be forceful and take matters into your own hands."

Nick glanced at his watch and realized he was running late. "Hold that thought buddy. I've gotta fly. Cath is waiting for me in the morgue, and if I don't show up soon, she might just go postal on my ass. Assuming we get a break in our Death Valley Jane Doe, I'll meet you for breakfast at the end of shift and we can figure this out."

"Sure, but only if you're buying," Warrick said with a grin. Nick shook his head and gave in to the idea of being a little bit poorer in a few hours. "You're on. See you later."

As Warrick continued down the hall, he tried to process what Nick had just told him. He couldn't help but smile as he realized that Catherine _was_ just as strong-willed and beautiful as any wild Mustang.


	3. Chapter 3

**Today I've gone walking with Nick and Catherine. Enjoy.**

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Nick leaned against his locker and listened to Warrick's pre-recorded voice. "You've reached Warrick Brown. Don't just stand there, leave me a message."

"Hey, it's me, Nick. I'm just heading out. Be there in ten."

Nick snapped his cell phone shut, grabbed his hat and walked out of the locker room. His work day was finally over and he was looking forward to having breakfast in the air-conditioned comfort of his favorite diner.

As he walked past the break room Nick heard someone exclaiming,

"Greg! Be careful. God, you're gonna hurt yourself!"

Nick looked thought the window and was somewhat taken aback by the vision that greeted him. There, in full view, was Greg juggling a glass, a fork and a small plate. Despite his surprise, Nick was impressed. Greg was putting on _quite_ the show for his captive audience of one.

"Don't worry Sara, we Norwegians are_ excellent_ fish jugglers," Greg said as he continued his display.

"You're not juggling fish, in case you haven't noticed," Sara laughed.

"Okay, I give up," she said as she threw up her hands in mock surrender. "Just try not to poke out your eye with that fork."

Nick shook his head and smiled. "Good old Greg, always trying to impress the ladies with his mad skills."

It was too bad that this clumsy attempt at seduction would fail. Sara wouldn't give in to Greg's boyish charms, no matter how hard he tried, because she was having an affair with Grissom.

Nick knew that he was the only one to have discovered their secret, because everyone else in the lab was otherwise occupied watching Catherine and Warrick. But it was only a matter of time before the rest of the team worked it out.

As Sara's friend, Nick should have been happy that she'd finally found her way into Grissom's arms, but he was concerned.

"It's not like Griss has a great track record when it comes to relationships," he noted.

"And just how smart is it to get involved with your supervisor anyway?"

As he took one last look at the antics going on in the break room, Nick realized that he was more upset about Sara's new relationship than he cared to admit. He hoped that she wasn't leaving herself too vulnerable, because the last thing she needed was to be cut off at the knees by Grissom's emotional unavailability.

"Wow. Where the Hell did that come from?" he thought to himself. And then, the answer came to him in a flash.

"Mini-golf."

About four months ago Nick and Sara had worked a particularly difficult case. They had gone to the diner for breakfast, but for some unknown reason, neither of them had wanted to go home after eating. So, on Sara's suggestion, they had decided to go mini-golfing - a totally geeky idea, but he'd gone along with it anyway.

They had played for hours, acting like a couple of kids. She had teased him mercilessly about the fact that he couldn't putt to save his life, and then had done a victory dance when she'd won the game. Her happiness had been infectious and for a moment, her smile had taken his breath away. The world disappeared, and for that one instant in time Sara was all that Nick needed.

He smiled as he remembered that his lack of skill had all been an act. A gentleman never made a lady look bad, no matter what. So, he had lost on purpose. If Sara ever found out that he had tossed the game, she would never forgive him. He knew it was ridiculous, but those few hours had brought Nick more pleasure than anything else had for months. His friendship with Sara was something to treasure and he was damned if he was going to let this thing with Grissom change anything.

As Nick got into his SUV, he shook himself out of his reverie.

"Get a grip man. You don't have time for daydreaming. Rick is waiting."

* * *

Back in the lab, Catherine walked into her office and sat down wearily in her chair. "Wow, that was a case and a half," she thought. 

Hours earlier she had gone down to the morgue to talk to David. The assistant coroner had been full of all sorts of useful information. In fact, it had been a _very_ educational post-mortem. She'd even managed to learn a thing or two about Doc Robbins' mild mannered assistant.

Apparently, David had a thing for tattoos.

While other people collected stamps, coins or baseball cards, David collected something much more exotic He had amassed a mind-boggling number of photographs that documented all sorts of shapes and sizes of body art. It was obvious that he had spent hundreds of hours doing research, not only on the dead that came across his autopsy table, but on the living as well.

Catherine had been rendered speechless by this revelation, but Nick had managed to blurt out, "Super Dave, still waters really do run deep. Very impressive."

As luck would have it, David's "hobby" had blown their case wide open. During the post, David had discovered a tattoo on Jane Doe's inner thigh. He had recognized the work and had steered Catherine and Nick to a local artist who had a shop near the Strip. They had visited the shop and the guy had given them a name - Carole Thompson.

Once they had Jane Doe's identity, it had been relatively easy to retrace her steps and find out what had happened. It turned out that Carole and her boyfriend Steve had been doing crystal meth for three days straight. During one of her hits she had become violent and had smashed their glass coffee table to pieces. Carole had cut herself badly, and, after seeing her own blood gushing everywhere had "totally freaked out," according to Steve.

Ultimately, she had collapsed from shock and blood loss, but hadn't died until after her genius boyfriend, who was too high to know up from down, had dumped her "dead" body in the desert. Catherine had no idea how he had managed to drive all the way to Death Valley and back in his altered state, but that really didn't matter. Carole Thompson was dead and now someone had to tell her parents.

It was at that very moment that Catherine decided the team needed a treat. Something to get their minds off the death and destruction surrounding them, and give them a respite from the oppressive heat that was wearing them down.

Catherine formulated a plan.

Last week, just before boarding the plane, Sam had given Catherine the keys to his ranch house and had told her to take advantage of the pool and the stables. Today was definitely too hot for riding, but the pool was something that she could share with her tired, hot co-workers.

Grissom had declined her invitation as he mumbled something about a "full schedule of meetings", but Sara, Greg and Nick had jumped at the chance to unwind and cool off. As for Warrick, well, he had disappeared.

"Probably on his way home to Tina," she said with a note of annoyance in her voice.

"Easy Cath, just be glad he's not coming. Take advantage of his absence to relax and let your guard down."

It was rare for the team to get together during non-work hours, but when they did, they played hard. Not surprisingly, Catherine was really looking forward to the impromptu pool party. She sighed contentedly as she pictured Sam's butler serving her Long Island iced teas poolside.

"A girl could get used to this pampering," she thought with a smile.

Catherine knew that reality would intrude soon enough, but for now, she resolved to take full advantage of the luxuries offered her. She was going to enjoy her weekend off.


	4. Chapter 4

As the morning passed, Catherine's fantasy of a cooling swim finally came to fruition. She arrived at Sam's place just after nine in the morning and left her car in the driveway. The ranch was unusually quiet and still. It was as if every living thing was hiding from the blistering heat. Catherine headed straight for the pool, stripped down to her underwear and dived in. It was Heavenly - even better than she had imagined. The water cascaded over her, washing away all the tension that had threatened to consume her. She floated on her back and then, after a few leisurely lengths of the pool, she got out and made her way to the house.

"Mmmm, that was nice. I actually feel like a human being again."

Catherine crossed the deck, leaving wet footprints in her wake. As she pulled open the sliding door that led to the kitchen, she encountered Carlotta, the housekeeper, who greeted her with a towel.

"Good morning Miss Catherine. I hope you enjoyed your swim."

"Yes Carlotta, I did," said Catherine. "I've been looking forward to that for hours." She wrapped herself up in the fluffy terrycloth and proceeded to ask, "Is everything arranged?"

"Yes Miss. The chef will be coming in the next hour to prepare the appetizers and your supper. Everything will be ready between three and four this afternoon."

"Wonderful. Look, why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'm planning on going to sleep for a few hours, so I won't need anything else until my guests arrive."

"That's most generous Miss, but I'm not sure..."

"Please Carlotta. Vincent will be here to take care of me if there's anything I need," Catherine said, trying to overcome the housekeeper's hesitation. "It's Saturday. Your son is out of school and this is a perfect time to be with your family."

"Well…" Carlotta paused, "…all right, I will go. Thank you Miss Catherine, but if you need anything at all, please call me."

"You're welcome Carlotta. Now go and enjoy your day off."

As Carlotta walked quickly towards the front door, Catherine smiled. She saw a little of herself mirrored in Sam's housekeeper and understood that as a single mom, finding time with your children was never easy. You took what you could get, no matter how brief.

Catherine poured herself a cold glass of water and headed to the far end of the ranch house. The sprawling bungalow contained numerous guest rooms, each larger than the next, but she didn't pick the most spacious of the bunch. Instead, she selected one with a small patio and a beautiful view of the Spring Mountains. In the coming days there would be plenty of time to take in the panorama, but for now, all she wanted to do was sleep. The silky cotton sheets enveloped her as she collapsed on top of the vast king size bed. Before Catherine even had a chance to snuggle deeper into their softness, she was asleep.

* * *

Hours later Catherine awoke, rested and refreshed. She checked her watch and realized the team would be arriving in less than thirty minutes. As she opened the bedroom door, she saw that her suitcase was sitting just outside. Apparently, Sam's butler had gone to her car and had brought her things in while she had been sleeping. Without a doubt, this was the life. 

Catherine unpacked and changed into her new purple string bikini. She topped off the ensemble with a gauzy wrap skirt and then examined herself in the mirror. Even though she had given birth, and wasn't in the same shape as when she was dancing, she still looked better than most women half her age.

"Not bad for an old gal," Catherine decided and made her way to the kitchen. She had just started mixing up some iced tea when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get the door," Catherine called out as she went to greet her first guest.

"Hey Nick. Welcome to the Sunset Canyon Ranch."

"Cath, what a beautiful place, thanks for inviting me," Nick said with a big grin as he handed her a bottle of wine.

"Think nothing of it Nicky. It's the least I could do. Besides, why should I be the only one to take advantage of all these luxuries while Sam is away?"

As she led Nick through to the kitchen, Catherine quickly oriented her guest. "You can change in the cabana outside by the pool. Help yourself to the snacks, but keep in mind that we'll be having dinner around 4 o'clock. Oh, and if you want anything to drink, just ask Vincent, the butler. Between you and me, that man makes a _mean_ margarita."

"Butler? Sweet," Nick stated as he pulled open the sliding door.

A few minutes later he emerged from the pool house wearing nothing but blue boardshorts. As she ran her eyes over Nick's torso, noting his remarkable six-pack, Catherine was reminded of just how fit all of her co-workers were. In a job where the crazy hours took their toll, it was really important to take care of your body, and Nick was definitely dedicated to that task. He made a point of going to the gym at least five days a week, with a discipline that was admirable. As she watched him move to the diving board, it was obvious to Cath that all his hard work had paid some serious dividends. She stopped momentarily and focused on the enjoyable view she was getting of Nick's back as he flexed and then dived in the pool.

It was then that Vincent interrupted her reverie to announce Sara and Greg.

"Well, that alone was worth the trip," Greg declared. "Who knew that I rated such a formal welcome?"

Catherine chuckled. "I hate to burst your bubble Greg, but Vincent does that for all the guests. Sam wouldn't have it any other way."

"Oh," he said, looking somewhat disappointed. "Well, it was still cool."

Sara walked up to the pool and asked, "So, where do we change?"

Before Catherine could answer, Nick's arm snaked up over the edge of the pool and grabbed Sara's ankle.

"Change? I don't think so!" he exclaimed as he tugged her closer to the edge. Within a matter of seconds, a fully dressed Sara was in the pool, sputtering and splashing.

"Great, now I have to go to work tonight in these wet clothes," she cried out. "You are _so_ going to pay for that!"

Sara launched herself at Nick who was still laughing so hard that he didn't see her coming. Before he knew what was happening, Sara had him in a head lock and was dragging him into the deep end. Greg whooped in appreciation and turned toward Catherine with a devilish look in his eye.

"Don't even think about it Mister," Catherine warned.

Greg raised his hands and backed away, clearly signaling his surrender in the face of a superior force. Without missing a beat, he turned around, stripped down to his swim trunks and jumped into the water. It was obvious that he didn't want to miss any of the action. Catherine shook her head in amazement. It was truly incredible how quickly Nick and Greg had reverted to little boys. They had cornered Sara and were splashing her with great enthusiasm all the while trying to dunk her. For one brief moment Catherine considered rescuing her from the "children", but then cooler heads prevailed.

"I didn't pay a small fortune for this bikini to actually swim in it," Catherine reasoned with herself. "There's no telling what the chlorine will to do the weave."

And with that, she sat down on a lounge chair, took a sip of her iced tea and watched the spectacle in the pool unfold before her eyes. Eventually, things calmed down and Sara was able to escape from her tormentors long enough to change into proper swimming gear. Sara's peace was short-lived. Before she even had a chance to catch her breath, a waterlogged Greg had dragged her back into the pool. The boys wanted to play some more.

Catherine rolled her eyes. She really was going to have to put her foot down soon if they didn't stop harassing Sara; but, in a perverse way, she was enjoying seeing her fellow CSI at the mercy of Nick and Greg. As the sounds of "Marco...Polo..." echoed across the patio, Catherine relaxed back in her chair, unwound and forgot all her cares.


	5. Chapter 5

Warrick got out of his car and looked around with admiration. The forty minute drive to Sunset Canyon Ranch had been worth it, if only for the natural beauty that surrounded him. Mere mortals couldn't beg, borrow or steal any private land at the edge of this protected wilderness, but Sam Braun's money and influence had given him the impossible. As Warrick took in the view, distant shouts, punctuated with laughter and splashing, reached his ears.

"Sounds like some serious horseplay," he thought.

He grinned and walked towards the noise coming from behind the house. It was a safe bet that Greg would be in the middle of all the action, but he wondered who else had joined the fun. He rounded the corner, stopped to get his bearings, and caught sight of Catherine lounging next to the pool.

She was dressed in a barely-there bikini that showed off her toned body to perfection. Her skin, the colour of cream, looked lit from within and Warrick found himself wondering if it would be hot to the touch. She stretched and shifted positions, moving like a graceful cat. He tried to open the gate, but was too distracted by Catherine's sexiness.

"Down boy..." he cautioned himself. "You can't afford to get sidetracked. You've got a job to do, and there's too much at stake to give into temptation."

Warrick took a deep breath and shook himself mentally. He turned his full attention to the gate, opened it, and walked out onto the deck.

"Hey guys," he called out to the threesome in the pool. "You have room in there for a fourth?"

"You bet," Greg said with glee in his voice. "I'm always ready for another victim."

"Thank God you're here," said Sara, desperately. "Maybe now I can actually dry off and get something to drink."

Nick motioned at Warrick. "Hurry up and get in here Rick. I'm getting my ass whipped at water polo."

_Warrick!_

Catherine's eyes flew open in surprise. She panicked.

"What are you doing here?" she blurted out.

"Hello to you too," Warrick said.

Catherine cringed inwardly.

"Warrick, I didn't mean…I'm sorry…It's just that…"

She tripped over her tongue like a giddy school girl, but finally managed to pull herself together long enough to say, "It's nice that you could make it. Why don't you go change?"

Catherine pointed him in the direction of the cabana, and wished the ground would swallow her up. She berated herself for letting his presence rattle her and resolved to keep her cool when he came back out. "So much for my day of relaxation," Catherine thought with some annoyance.

While Catherine was busy telling herself off, Sara made it out of the water, poured herself an iced tea and got comfortable on one of the patio chairs. As she settled in, Vincent came by to tell her that he had put her wet clothes in the dryer. They would be clean and pressed for whenever she was ready to leave. Sara uttered a somewhat awkward "Thanks" and then promptly turned to Catherine and whispered, "Is he for real?"

Catherine smiled and responded, "You bet, and he's _all mine_ for another two days."

The idea of being waited on hand and foot gave Catherine great pleasure, but that was nothing compared to the sensation that coursed through her body when she saw Warrick come out of the cabana. He had changed and was ready to get wet. Catherine groaned. This was just too much to take. Unlike Nick and Greg, who both looked like California surfer dudes in their board shorts, Warrick looked like he had just walked off the runway. He was wearing a red boxer brief swimsuit that enhanced his chocolate skin and accentuated his body in all the right places.

Sara let out a low whistle and, with a trace of mischief in her voice, said, "Tasty," which was followed up by a round of catcalls from Nick and Greg in the pool.

"Ladies," said Warrick, addressing his two male admirers. "No need to get your panties in a twist just because you can't pull off something this dope." He let out a chuckle, and then proceeded to do a cannonball into the water.

There were only three of them in the pool, but it quickly became a churning mass of waves as the water polo match got aggressive. With Sara and Catherine safely watching from the sidelines, they unleashed the testosterone and the game was on, with a vengeance. It was clear from the outset that Warrick had the upper hand on both his opponents. He used his superior height and strength to slowly wear them down, but Catherine wasn't really paying that much attention to the competition - she was much more intent on watching the man.

Catherine stared at Warrick's broad shoulders and the way his muscles rippled as he threw the ball in Nick's direction. Water flowed off his chiseled upper body and the sun reflected off his wet skin, making it look like caramel. He looked good enough to eat. Before she could catch herself, a sultry purr-like sound escaped her lips.

"You say something Cath?" asked Sara, as she tilted her head in Catherine's direction.

Startled out of her daydream, Catherine realized she had almost slipped up. _Not good_. It was time to take a break, before things got totally out of hand. She mumbled something unintelligible in Sara's direction, "Hunger… dinner," and then rushed towards the relative safety of the house.

Out of the corner of his eye Warrick noticed a flash of purple. He surfaced, after retrieving the ball, and looked around for Catherine. She had left the comfort of her lounge chair and was headed for the kitchen. Fearing that she wouldn't show her face again until he left, he decided to follow her. He turned towards Nick and whispered.

"Buddy, it's now or never. I'm going in to talk to Catherine. Can you make sure we're not disturbed?"

Nick replied, "Absolutely. Good luck." He gave Warrick a thumbs-up and then swam towards Greg in the deep end.

Warrick's stomach started doing back flips. He was nervous. After spending hours agonizing about how to break the news to Catherine, the moment had finally come and he didn't want to screw it up. Nick had helped him figure out a game plan, but he was still worried, especially since every time he looked at her in that bikini he lost his mind.

* * *

In the kitchen, Vincent poured Catherine a large glass of wine. "Just what the doctor ordered," she said, and took a drink. 

"You're most welcome Miss. And now, if you will excuse me for a moment, I must go to the laundry to see to Miss Sidle's things.'

"That's fine. Take your time. I'll come get you once I've dragged everyone out of the pool and we're ready for dinner," she said as he left the room.

Catherine took another sip of her wine and then noticed Warrick walking across the deck in her direction. For a brief instant she considered retreating to her room, but then thought better of it. "Oh yeah, that would be really mature wouldn't it Cath?"

"You're both adults and can act like civilized human beings for a few hours. Can't you?" she reasoned. "Just remember, he's married and off limits. Get your hormones in check and treat him like he's just another co-worker." It sounded like a good plan. So, as Warrick walked into the kitchen, Catherine steeled herself and pretended to look for something in the fridge.

"Wow, I'm parched. Do you have anything to drink in there?" he asked.

"Yeah, lots of stuff. Here, take a look."

Catherine moved away to let him check the fridge. She hoped that Warrick's search would give her enough time to grab her wine and make a speedy exit, but he had other ideas.

"Hey Cath, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, as the fridge door shut with a thump.

Catherine closed her eyes in frustration and whispered, "Damn."

She turned to face him and said with a half-hearted smile, "Sure, just let me get the gang out of the pool, and then we can talk during dinner."

Hoping he would be satisfied with her answer, she tried to make good her escape, but Warrick grabbed her arm, impeding her progress.

"No Cath, I need to speak with you alone. Would you just stop running away from me and listen?" he pleaded.

Catherine rested her forehead on the sliding door and sighed. There was no way that she was getting away. She decided to bite the bullet.

"Alright, I'm listening."

"Look, I'm not really sure where to begin, so I'm just going to cut to the chase. Tina and I are divorced."

Catherine looked at him in astonishment.

"Pardon me?"

"My marriage, it's over."

"Oh, Warrick!" Catherine exclaimed. "When did this happen?"

"Umm…about three months ago," Warrick said, somewhat hesitantly.

"What? Three months ago?" she asked, sounding confused. "Does anyone else know yet?"

"Well, Nick does. He's known from the beginning, because he was my witness during the proceedings. Oh, and I had to tell Grissom so that I could book some time off work."

Warrick tried to gage Catherine's reaction to the news, but couldn't interpret what he saw. She didn't seem to be angry, but he wasn't sure. If only she would look at him, instead of at the floor, maybe then he could tell what she was thinking.

A momentary silence fell. Catherine heard the blood roaring in her ears as her heart began to pound uncontrollably. "Warrick divorced? _3 months ago_…" She struggled to make sense of this shocking information. Her world started to spin. In an effort to keep her balance, she turned towards the counter and gripped it tightly with both hands.

"Cath, it's okay. This is a good thing," Warrick said softly. "After my marriage with Tina went bad, I did some serious thinking, and now I finally see what's been in front of me all along."

Warrick waited for his words to sink in. When no reaction came, he decided to throw caution to the wind. He moved in close behind her. Catherine felt his hot breath on her shoulder. _Too close_. She shivered involuntarily as the scent of him surrounded her and a feeling akin to panic surged over her.

"What to do? What to say? Where to run?' she asked herself, but found that all rational thought had deserted her.

Warrick's hands slowly slid up her arms, tracing a pattern as they went - a permanent tattoo, burned on her skin. He swept her hair aside and began to nuzzle the delicate curve her neck.

"Cath," he whispered, gently tugging at the soft flesh of her earlobe with his teeth. His lips grazed her skin and she let out a soft moan. She tasted _so good_. Honey and vanilla. Warrick wanted to devour every inch of her.

"Cath…I've waited so long…wanted this…wanted you." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer to him, forcing her to acknowledge the rising heat between them.

"Love me Cath."

Catherine stiffened. Those three words - such a simple request and yet…


	6. Chapter 6

…Catherine couldn't allow herself to give in and lose control. Things were going way too fast and she felt like she was drowning. Her brain raced to sort it all out while her body urged her to yield.

She cared for Warrick, and he knew that. She had made it pretty clear by confessing her fantasy, but that hadn't stopped him from lying and making a fool of her every day at work for _three whole months_. While she was busy trying to deny her feelings and keep a safe distance from him because he was 'married', he had watched her struggle and said nothing.

Warrick's fingers slipped beneath her bikini strap and pushed it over her shoulder. Catherine's breath caught in her throat. Time stood still.

"_Months_," her inner voice repeated. "_You've been betrayed, used_."

It was then that Catherine decided to fight the eager response of her rebellious body. There was no way that she would let Warrick drag her into a mindless surrender. He had decided not to trust her. He had played a cruel game with her and she wasn't about to let him win.

"I can't," she whispered. "I can't. Please stop."

Catherine's request went unnoticed. Warrick was so consumed by his desire that all he could think about was how to make her fully and completely his.

"Stop," she said once more, a desperate note in her voice.

This time, the message got through. Warrick froze. He could feel Cath struggling against him, trying to break free from his embrace. Reluctantly, he let his hands fall away from her body, leaving her bare skin tingling. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around herself to preserve the heat.

"Cath, what's wrong? Isn't this what you wanted?" he asked her, confusion clouding his face.

She spun round to face him, anger flashing in her eyes. "What _I_ wanted? How dare you throw that in my face! If you had cared about what I wanted, you would've told me about your divorce three months ago. Now get out!"

"But…" Warrick reached out to her, tried to draw her close.

"Don't," she said, pushing against his chest in order to keep him away. He was overpowering her with his presence and she needed him gone, needed time to think.

"Just go," she implored him.

Warrick's heart broke as he looked at the woman he loved. She was radiating anger and hurt from every pore, but he could do nothing to ease her pain. He had seen her shut down enough times to know that reasoning with her would just push her further away. He hated to think that his actions had led them to this dangerous place where he might never get her back.

"Alright, Cath. Have it your way," he said with a sigh. "I'll go, for now, but we are _not_ done…Not by a long shot."

As if to underscore his point, Warrick brought his hand up to her face and gently grazed her bottom lip with his thumb. Their eyes met for one brief instant, and in that one look he tried to send her all the love and desire that was in his heart. Overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze, Catherine closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Temporarily defeated, Warrick walked away from her trembling form. As the sliding door closed behind him with a soft click, Catherine felt her legs give way. She managed to get to the kitchen table and sit down. And then, as her carefully constructed defenses imploded, she cradled her head in her hands and wept.

"Well, that went well," Warrick thought sarcastically as he walked back out to the pool.

"How could you be so stupid?" he berated himself. "You just couldn't keep your hands off her long enough to make her understand, could you? Man, it took you almost three months to figure this out. You can't expect her to process everything in a couple of minutes…Dumb ass."

Warrick knelt over the edge of the pool and whispered something to Nick, who proceeded to get out of the water. Warrick went to change and then they both disappeared around the corner of the house. Minutes later Nick came back alone, worry written all over his face. He told Sara and Greg that Warrick had been called back to the lab, and hoped they wouldn't ask any more questions. He shouldn't have been concerned, because they were too busy debating the relative merits of methods for latent print developing to notice his slightly agitated state.

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Just as her sobbing eased, Catherine could hear Vincent coming down the hall. Not wanting Sam's butler to see the pathetic state she was in, she made her way to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. The water was shockingly refreshing and it helped to bring her back to her senses. It was time for dinner and she needed to keep it together, as least until her guests left. Taking a deep breath, Catherine put on an artificial smile and went back outside to play hostess.

Unfortunately, dinner was not the success she had hoped it would be. Catherine drank way too much wine and her distracted manner put a damper on the fun. Greg and Sara left before dessert. They said they were in a rush to get to the lab for their shift, but Catherine knew they were just trying to get away from her dark mood.

Under normal circumstances, a dessert of crème brulée and Louis XIII cognac would cheer her up no end, but Nick's presence at the table just made her mood darker. It irritated her no end that he had been complicit in Warrick's deception. Finally, she couldn't keep her anger bottled up any longer and she confronted him.

"How could you?" she exclaimed.

"Sorry?" Nick asked, not following Catherine's train of thought.

"I bet the two of you had a good laugh at my expense. Didn't you?" she asked.

Nick finally caught up – _Warrick_. He took a deep breath and said, "Cath, believe me, it wasn't like that."

"Like Hell it wasn't," she said.

"Look, it wasn't a joke. You have no idea how many hours Rick spent worrying about you, trying to find the right way to break the news," he said, defending his friend.

Catherine wasn't buying it.

"Fine, don't believe me," Nick said with a note of annoyance in his voice. "But if you can't have faith that Rick would never hurt you, then maybe you're not the woman for him," he said.

Frustrated, Nick threw his napkin down on the table and pushed away his unfinished dessert. "You know what? I'm done. You're smashed, and I'm going home before I say something I'll _really_ regret. Thanks for dinner."

Catherine watched Nick leave and downed the rest of her cognac. "Fuck them all," she thought angrily, as the alcohol buzz took over. It was a cruel twist of fate that a day which had started so well, had ended so badly. Catherine was drunk, alone and feeling sorry for herself. She decided to call it a night and made her way back to her room.

Sleep didn't come easily. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. All she could think about was Warrick's touch. Catherine pounded her pillow and cursed his deceit. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, exhaustion took over and she fell into a fitful sleep.

Catherine dreamt.

She was back in the storm drains, lost and walking around calling Warrick's name, but he didn't answer her shouts. As she rounded a corner, she encountered Nick and Grissom, standing knee-deep in the water, whispering and pointing at her.

"There's a sucker born every minute," Nick stated. "That P.T. Barnum called it right."

"No Nick. That quote has always been attributed incorrectly. It was actually David Hannum who coined the phrase," Grissom replied. "But it is apt, considering that Catherine fell for Warrick's marriage hoax."

"It was like taking candy from a baby." Nick grinned at the memory.

And with that observation, they both pointed at her again and laughed hysterically. Catherine spun around and ran away, their derisive laughter following her retreating form. Her toe caught on a concrete outcrop and she fell, but before her body hit the water, the scene shifted. She found herself in a hallway of the crime lab, kneeling on all fours. As she stood and brushed herself off, she noticed that the laughter had not ceased. In fact, it had become louder.

Catherine looked around. All the lab techs had joined Nick and Grissom in mocking her. She was surrounded by dozens of laughing faces behind the windows and doors of each and every lab.

It was a nightmare.

Catherine decided to try and escape. She ran towards the garages at the back of the building, but as she pushed on the exit door, a piercing alarm began to sound. The high-pitched tone mingled with the laughter, threatening to shatter her eardrums. She held her hands against the side of her head in a vain effort to block out the screeching, and screamed repeatedly, "Stop it! Stop it!"

Just when she thought that her ears were going to explode, a hand touched her arm, and silence descended over the lab. She looked up and saw it was Warrick. He gripped her by the shoulders and pushed her backwards through an open lab door. He barked at the lone occupant, "Out! Now!" Bobby D fled.

Warrick continued to steer her backwards until she made contact with a table, halting their momentum. They were face to face, their bodies barely touching. He growled at her, "I chose you, and I'm not going to wait to collect what's mine."

"Love me Cath," he whispered, with the same intensity as in Sam's kitchen, and then his lips descended and crushed hers in a fiery kiss.

An overwhelming need engulfed Catherine as she returned his kiss with equal fervor. Not caring about the consequences, or who was watching, she gave in to her desires. They tore at each other, impatiently struggling with buttons and zippers, with a wild abandon that was exhilarating. Warrick made space on the table by pushing the contents to the floor. Catherine was vaguely aware of the sounds of metal hitting concrete, but she was too far gone to care.

Heat coursed through her body as Rick's mouth made its way down towards her centre. She tangled her hands in his hair as his tongue teased and parted her soft flesh. She begged him to finish inside her, so he shifted positions and took her there, among the guns. It was rough and urgent, but it was what they both wanted. He bucked into her as she cried out for more, but before she reached her climax, the world shifted again.

With a sharp intake of breath, Catherine woke up.

The sheets were tangled around her and her overheated body was throbbing with desire. Realizing that it had been a dream, she growled in frustration. In a desperate attempt to still her body's demands, Catherine touched herself to find release. Ashamed at her neediness, she cried herself to sleep listening to the coyotes howl.

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I know what you're thinking – WTF? Well, when I wrote this, I was in a** very** strange place, hence the super-angst and drunk, self-pitying Catherine. I'm not sure exactly what brought the whole nightmare scenario on, but have no fear; it's out of my system. I promise. :-)


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, after all the super-angst and tension of the previous chapter, I figure we all need a brief time-out from the YoBling drama****...I can't believe I just said that! So, here's a small Snickers break. Enjoy.**

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Night turned into day and the inexorable heat raged on unabated. Nick entered the crime lab parking lot and pulled in to his usual spot. The lot was bustling as the night and day shifts crossed paths on the searing asphalt. One group was tired and looking forward to their beds, while the other was refreshed and full of enthusiasm for catching the bad guys. It was a cycle that repeated itself day in and day out - the steady heartbeat of the Las Vegas crime lab. Under normal circumstances, Nick would be on his way home, but today was a little different.

He passed Greg who looked at him strangely and said, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home, asleep?"

Nick nodded his head in agreement. "Yep, but I forgot something in my locker."

"It must be pretty damn important to give up sleeping in. I know I wouldn't waste my precious nap time for anything less than Mia, whipped cream and some DNA." Greg chuckled mischievously.

Nick laughed. "Easy Tiger, it's nothing as exciting as that. I'll see you tomorrow." He waved at Greg's retreating form and went in through the main entrance.

Last night, on the way home from Catherine's, he had noticed that his cell phone was missing. That was not good, especially because that phone was his lifeline to the lab. He had retraced his steps and had figured out that it was in his locker, where he had left it in his rush to meet Warrick. Too tired to make a detour, especially after his upsetting conversation with Catherine, he decided to swing by the lab in the morning to pick it up.

As Nick rushed towards the locker room, he couldn't help thinking about his co-workers. Catherine had really taken Rick's news badly and was raging against the whole world. Warrick didn't appear to be coping much better, because he had disappeared. Nick didn't really blame either one of them for their reactions, but he was still anxious. He guessed Warrick was off licking his wounds, but he wanted to be there for his friend whenever he was ready to talk about it. Nick feared that the melodrama was only beginning and could only hope that there wouldn't be too many casualties after all was said and done.

Nick made a beeline for his locker. As he opened the door, he noticed a lone figure huddled in the dark, far corner of the room.

"Hey, you okay over there?" he asked, not knowing who he was addressing.

"Oh, hi Nick," said a familiar voice.

"Sara? What are you doing in the dark?"

She cleared her throat. "Nothing, I was just thinking."

"Penny for them," Nick said, slowly approaching from behind.

"Really, it's nothing," she said as she got up and moved further away from him. Nick took her by the arm and asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"No, I mean, yes. Oh Hell, I don't know."

"Okay, now you're freaking me out. Talk to me Sara."

She turned around to face him and replied, "I can't," and then proceeded to sit down on the bench with a thud. Sara looked like she had lost her best friend. Nick figured that it was the burden of a new case. It wouldn't be the first or last time that Sara had gotten emotionally involved, so he asked gently, "Tough case?'

She sighed, "I wish."

"Is it your brother, has something happened?"

Again, Sara issued a denial. Nick thought about it for a moment and then it struck him – Grissom. It had to be the only other explanation. A run in with Ecklie wouldn't make her sad; it would just piss her off. He knew that Sara didn't know that he had guessed her secret, so he had to proceed cautiously.

"Look, Grissom can be a bit of a bear when he's working. Whatever he said, don't take it personally. Remember, he has tunnel vision sometimes."

His words must have struck a nerve, because silent tears began to stream down Sara's face. Through her tears she mumbled, "He let me go."

Her statement threw Nick a curveball. "What? He fired you? Why? What happened?"

"No, Nick that's not it. _He_ let go of _me_. He left me."

Nick looked at Sara and didn't know what to do. She looked so torn up inside, so helpless. He put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, just to let her know that he was there.

"Sara, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry things didn't work out."

She shook her head and looked at him curiously through her tears. "You don't seem surprised about the fact that Grissom and I were dating."

"No Sara, I'm not. I've known for at least a month, but I don't think anyone else on the team has guessed."

"Well, apparently you're not the only one that figured it out. You know that Grissom couldn't make it to Cath's yesterday because he had a whole slew of meetings?"

"Yeah," Nick said, pausing for her to elaborate.

"Well, one of those meetings was with Ecklie. And guess what?" Sara waited for Nick to fill in the blanks.

"Oh." Nick hesitated. "He busted Grissom's chops about seeing you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he pointed out that the relationship was unprofessional and damaging to the lab's reputation. He threatened to split the team up again if Gil didn't toe the line and end things. Gil caved; he let Ecklie tell him what to do," she said with despair in her voice.

"I called him on it, you know?" Sara said. "And he had the nerve to tell me that Conrad had nothing to do with his decision. Apparently, their conversation had just crystallized what he'd known all along, that our relationship was _wrong_. And if that weren't bad enough, he went on to say that he valued my friendship and my work in the lab too much to pitch my career into the toilet."

Sara let out a shaky breath. "I can't believe he didn't fight for us. I would have stood up to Ecklie and told him to do his worst, but apparently Grissom doesn't care that much about me." Sara leaned over, elbows resting on her thighs, head between her hands.

"Do you want to know the most infuriating part? This isn't anything new. He's backed away from me once before. You would've thought I had learned something the first time, but I guess I was just too stupid to figure it out." She let the words tumble out, barely letting herself take a breath. "Relationship my ass - what a damn, pathetic joke," she cursed. And then, just like a sail that's lost its wind, Sara collapsed and began to sob.

Nick was furious. He was going to find Grissom and give him a beating. "_Whoa_," he thought, shocked by the violence of his own reaction. And then, slowly, he understood. He cared for Sara, not just as a friend, but as a lover. Nick didn't fight this discovery, but merely enfolded Sara in an embrace and held her until the sobbing stopped, and her breathing became regular.

"Shit," Sara mumbled against Nick's chest. "I hate to be this vulnerable and needy."

"Don't worry about it. I'm here for you. Just let it all out," Nick said. He stroked her hair and held her tight to reassure her that she wasn't alone. Sara was strong and would survive this blow, but he was worried that she would retreat into herself as a defense. He took a deep breath and resolved to be there to nurture her and make sure that didn't happen. Nick gently kissed her forehead, and she looked up at him with her endearing, gap-tooth smile.

"Thanks for listening and not judging," she sniffed. Sara sat up, shook herself and then stated with a renewed determination, "I'm not going to let him scare me off. I love this job and I love the team. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me break."

"That's the spirit," Nick encouraged.

"Hey, we're in Vegas," Sara said with a shrug. "The show must go on."

Nick smiled and thought to himself, "Yeah, the show must go on, and we'll see it through, _together_."


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, I apologize for taking so long to update, but I got a little distracted with the film festival that blew through town last week. There just weren't enough hours in the day to work, watch movies, hobnob with Hollywood stars and write fiction :-) Anyways, here is the next instalment. Enjoy!**

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As light filtered in through the window, Catherine cracked open one eye and groaned. Her head was pounding and her mouth felt like she'd eaten a pillow. For one instant she was confused, but then, as her brain engaged, all the horrors of the previous day came back to her. She groaned again and turned her back to the window in a futile attempt to get away from the increasing brightness.

"No, it can't be morning yet. I need more sleep," she thought, but it was hopeless. Her brain had taken control and was tormenting her with memories of Warrick and their confrontation in the kitchen.

Eventually, Catherine resigned herself to the fact that she was totally awake and getting any more rest was going to be impossible. She hauled her exhausted body out of bed and went to brush her teeth. In an effort to try and get her mind off things, she decided to go for an early morning ride, before the oppressive heat of the day settled in.

Growing up as a child in Montana, Catherine had always found a stillness and calm whenever she rode. She hoped that today, if she rode fast enough and far enough, her problems would get lost in the mountains and she could find some peace again. She changed into her riding gear and went to find some coffee.

After downing a couple of Advil, and consuming a strange red liquid that Vincent swore would fix her up in no time, she went to the stables and saddled up Jackpot. "What a name," she reflected. "If I were Sam, I wouldn't want any reminders of the casino life in this peaceful oasis." But these thoughts were quickly swept aside as she mounted the stallion and rode off in a cloud of dust, trying to escape the demons that were chasing her.

The hours passed, and the temperature began to rise as the sun climbed higher in the sky. A navy SUV emerged from the trees and came to a stop in front of the main house. For the second time in as many days, Warrick found himself out at the Sunset Canyon Ranch. He had spent the entire night driving around the desert, but that activity hadn't provided any solutions to the mess that he was in, and so, he decided to take another shot at talking to Catherine. He hoped that after a good night's sleep she would be more receptive to his point of view.

Warrick was determined to meet this challenge head-on and so he made his way up to the front door and rang the bell. Vincent opened the door.

"Good Morning Sir. May I help you?"

"I'm here to see Catherine. Is she around?"

"I'm very sorry, but she has gone riding and I'm not sure when she will be back. Shall I tell her you stopped by?"

"No, that's fine. I'll try her later."

Warrick trudged back to his Denali, not knowing what to do next. And then it hit him - he might be able to catch Catherine when she came back from her ride. He decided to go stake out the stables and wait.

As he walked into the shaded building, he observed that all but one of the half dozen stalls contained a horse. A beautiful dapple grey whinnied softly at him and nodded her head as he passed. He stopped briefly to rub her muzzle and then looked around for somewhere to get comfortable. He couldn't find a chair, so he parked himself on a bale of hay outside the empty stall and waited.

Almost as soon as he got settled, he heard the steady pounding of hooves approaching. Warrick got up from his makeshift chair and looked through the window. Catherine had dismounted in the yard and was now patting her horse's neck while addressing it in a low voice.

"You're a good, strong horse Jackpot. Yes, you are. Thanks for carrying me safely home."

Warrick smiled to himself, appreciating the simple beauty of that unguarded moment, and the ease with which Catherine communed with the horse. As she led her ride into the stables, Warrick retreated to the corner and held his breath. Catherine removed her helmet and shook out her hair. It was then that she noticed Warrick standing near the tack room. He was waiting for her. She was trapped.

"I guess you don't know the meaning of get out," she said wearily, as she began to undo the horse's saddle.

"No, I guess I don't. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for punishment," he responded. "Besides, I warned you that we weren't finished. You'll have to hear me out at some point, so now's as good a time as any."

Catherine set Jackpot's saddle aside, closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine, but I'm not sure that there's anything you can say to make things better." She turned her attention to brushing the stallion and continued, "I still can't get over the fact that you trusted me so little that you couldn't confide in me."

"God Cath, it wasn't like that at all. I didn't know where to begin. You'd distanced yourself and I wasn't even sure how you felt anymore."

"Why didn't you just ask?"

"How?" he said, exasperated. "When you could barely even say hello?"

"You should've tried harder," she said softly, avoiding his gaze.

Warrick didn't know what to say. He wasn't surprised that she was still angry at him for keeping 'secrets', but he also knew that it didn't matter anymore. What was important was getting Catherine to understand that they were meant to be together, no matter what. He had to figure out a way to pull her focus away from that damn horse.

In an attempt to catch her attention he asked, "Well, now that you know about my divorce, what's next Cath?"

Catherine finished brushing Jackpot and led him into the empty stall. She turned to Warrick and said, "I don't know what's next, Rick."

"You say you finally saw what was in front of you, but, did you ever think that it might be too late?" Catherine asked him pointedly as she washed up.

"Don't say that Cath," Warrick pleaded. "It's never too late. We _have_ to fight for us."

She dried off her hands and sat down on a bale of hay.

"_Fight_ for us? It figures. Nothing is ever simple between us these days, is it? I'm just so damn tired of fighting for everything – fighting for my job, for respect, for Lindsey, for love...Maybe I should just give up and declare you the winner."

"Cath, I don't want your surrender, I love you and I want us to be together as equals, not as winner and loser. We've wasted too much precious time as it is, dancing around the truth. Will you at least give me a chance to prove to you that we could have something real?"

"That's not the point Warrick. I can't be with a man that I can't trust. I did that once with Eddy, and I'm not going to do it again."

Warrick's blood boiled. "I am not him!" he said forcefully. "How could you ever mention both of us in the same breath? I would never hurt you like Eddy did, _never_."

"Deny it all you like, but you both betrayed me," Catherine said. Warrick shook his head in disbelief.

"Don't shake your head at me Rick. You hurt me. Maybe in a different way, but you did. And now, I just don't know where I stand with you anymore."

"Let me show you Cath," he said as he approached her. Afraid that she might run away again, he knelt cautiously in front of her seated form. Warrick took her face in his hands and looked at her intently.

Before Catherine registered what he was about to do, Warrick's lips gently feathered her own. It was a chaste kiss, but one full of promise. His lips hovered above hers and then he raised them to kiss her forehead and whispered, "I love you Cath. I always will. If you need more time to catch up, I can wait. Hell, we've been dancing around this for years, so what are a few more weeks?" He smiled and stood up.

As Catherine looked up at Warrick, all the puzzle pieces fell into place. She realized that he hadn't meant to hurt her by keeping his divorce secret. Yes, her pride had been wounded, but that was because she'd put her own selfish needs before his. If she'd just taken a moment to sit down and think about it rationally, instead of letting her emotions rule her judgement, she would've seen the reality of their situation. "_You should've known better Cath, you've been there before_," her inner voice scolded her.

After her divorce from Eddy, Catherine had lived through crazy emotional ups and downs that had taken months to work themselves out. Warrick had been no different. He had needed time to think before sharing his news. Knowing their complex history, he had done the responsible thing - she could see that now.

Warrick was right; they had wasted too much time. Catherine decided it was the perfect moment to take the bull by the horns…

As Warrick watched Catherine, he noticed a subtle change come over her, but what came next was totally unexpected.

Catherine stood up, grinned and asked, "Do you want to go for a ride?"


	9. Chapter 9

Warrick could tell by the mischief sparkling in Catherine's eyes, that her suggestion of 'going for a ride' didn't include the horses. Taken aback by her offer, all he could do was look at her while his mouth hung open in surprise.

Amused at his sudden confusion, Catherine let out a deep, throaty laugh and said, "Why so shocked Rick? Aren't you the one that's been telling me over and over again that we were meant to be together? So, it's time to put your money where your mouth is, Mister."

He couldn't believe it – she had transformed before his very eyes, back into the strong, sexy Catherine he remembered. And while he was up for the challenge, he didn't want to jump the gun. It was important to make sure that this was what Cath really wanted. If he placed this bet, it _had_ to be a winner – there wouldn't be any second chances.

Warrick didn't move, didn't react. Sensing his hesitation, Catherine came closer and ran her hands up his chest. She planted a kiss on the spot just above where his shirt came together in a 'v' and then, began to open the buttons.

Tilting her head up, she looked at him and whispered, "Touch me, make me yours," and proceeded to push his shirt off his shoulders.

As Catherine rained soft kisses over his chest, Warrick decided that this was one request that couldn't be ignored. He struggled briefly to release himself from the sleeves that pinned his arms to his sides, and as the fabric hit the floor, he enfolded Catherine in his arms and kissed her passionately.

Months of frustration were released in that one kiss as a wave of electricity passed between them. They clung to one another with a wild urgency that threatened to consume them both. Drawing apart briefly, to surface for air, they came together again in an instant like two magnets, unable to resist the attraction.

The kiss deepened and their tongues engaged in a dance, teasing and hinting at the pleasure to come. Catherine's heart beat wildly as Warrick tugged her shirt free from her riding breeches. Within moments, her top joined Warrick's on the floor and their heated skin made full contact. She reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer, trying to imprison him with her mouth.

Catherine's enthusiastic response was a revelation. Warrick had fantasized about being with her for months, but the reality was so much better than anything he could've imagined. The feel of her body entwined with his drove him mad with desire. She was so damn sexy and he wanted to taste every inch of her. It was time to do some serious exploring. He broke free of their kiss and turned his focus on the soft hollow of her neck.

Catherine let out a disappointed whimper, but her protest transformed to a purr of contentment as Warrick trailed his tongue down her neck, to the valley between her breasts. He curled his fingers under the clasp of her bra and undid it with a quick motion. Her breath caught in her throat as his mouth ravaged her flesh and his tongue teased her nipple to full arousal.

Eager for him to be just as exposed as she was, Catherine worked at the buckle of his trousers. Before she could get very far, Warrick lifted her in his arms and carried her over to a large stack of hay. Without ever letting her go, he grabbed a blanket from a peg on the wall, laid it over the pile, and placed her down on the improvised bed.

In one swift motion, he removed his shoes, socks and pants and stood before her totally naked. The sight of his chiselled body and the state of his arousal just served to make Catherine even more excited. She wanted him and couldn't wait any longer, so she grabbed his arms and pulled him roughly down towards her.

As he descended to meet her, Warrick took control of the situation. He straddled her, grabbed her wrists with one hand, and pinned them above her head. She was trapped beneath him and he used that opportunity to let his free hand explore her exposed skin. Kissing her deeply, he brushed his thumb back and forth over her right nipple. He smiled knowingly as the tip hardened with every stroke. Catherine let out a cry, and writhed beneath him, trying to break free.

"Please Rick," she said breathlessly, "let me touch you."

Warrick continued to fondle her breast as if he hadn't heard her, and before another request could cross Catherine's lips, he silenced her with a forceful, demanding kiss. Eventually, he moved his mouth down to nip at the sensitive tissue of her other breast while she whimpered and moaned, signalling her growing arousal. Finally, when he sensed that his caresses had brought her close to the edge; he helped her remove her boots and pants and then embraced her once again, feverishly drinking in the scent of her heated flesh.

Catherine gripped his shoulder and ran her fingers through his hair while he traced a pattern around her navel, licking and sucking her skin as he went. As his mouth made its way lower, towards her centre, Warrick found his progress impeded by her lacy underwear. Letting out a growl of frustration, he hooked his hand under the waistband and pulled down.

Released from the last piece of clothing that separated them, Catherine froze in anticipation and fear. Her traitorous inner voice surfaced.

"_What if you can't satisfy him? You're older than he is, you've given birth. You're not 20 anymore_…"

But, any lingering doubts were silenced as Warrick's hot breath travelled up her inner thigh and focused on the throbbing area between her legs. When his tongue arrived at its destination and began to stroke her, all rational thought deserted her and she lost herself in the sensations washing over her.

While she arched her body towards him, trying to signal her increasingly desperate need, Warrick inhaled her scent and got lost in the sweetness of her velvet flesh. Desperate to have him inside her, Catherine begged him to end her exquisite torture, but Warrick wanted to take his time.

He lifted his head and said, "Don't rush this Cath. We have all day and all night and I want to give you pleasure like you've never known."

Warrick's provocative statement made her head spin and in a daze she gave herself over to the feelings building up inside her. He resumed his exploration of her core and within moments, waves of ecstasy engulfed her as she climaxed.

Just when she thought that she could go no higher, he moved his hand over her mound, parted her lips and buried his fingers in her wetness. Shudders of pleasure ran through her as his touch teased her closer and closer to another peak.

Sensing that she was ready to come, Catherine wanted the distance between them gone. Impatiently, she pulled his hand away from her sex, wrapped her legs around his back, and ground her hips into his. His throbbing erection pulsed against the soft flesh of her abdomen and she said in a husky voice, "No more waiting."

Catherine would not be denied.

As she positioned herself to receive him, she heard Warrick say, "Look at me."

She opened her eyes and green met blue. All of the unsaid things between them were laid bare, raw and defenceless. At that very moment, when she thought she would lose herself in the depths of his eyes, he entered her. A heat like no other suffused her already aroused body and then it all became clear. _This was where she belonged_.

Warrick tried to reach the deepest part of her, driving into her with a force that elicited an animal cry of pleasure from Catherine. She pushed her hips up to meet his thrust and whispered in his ear, "Deeper." Using her muscles to get what she wanted, she gripped his shaft and pulled him even closer.

Their lovemaking was different than in her dream and yet, in so many ways, it was more earth-shattering. There was a connection between them that she had not imagined was possible with another human being. Never before had anyone looked into her soul as deeply as the man within her. As their rhythm increased, Catherine's body began to quiver.

"Let go," Warrick murmured. She obliged. And in that instant of total abandon, the waves of her orgasm took over as her body bent backwards and she screamed his name.

As Catherine cried out for him, wild and unfettered amongst the hay, Warrick surrendered to his own delirium, letting his climax take control. They melded together; and at that very moment, if they had been observed, it would've been almost impossible to tell where she ended and he began.


	10. Chapter 10

**To all the readers out there, please accept my profound apologies…It has taken _way_ too long to update, but this is what happens when work gets in the way. Anyways, I'm really glad that you guys are feeling the heat. ;-) Thanks for the positive feedback. And now without further ado, on with the YoBling. Enjoy!**

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The soft whinny of a horse startled Warrick from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes and looked down at Catherine slumbering on his chest. A large grin of pleasure stole over his face at the realization that she was naked in his arms. "Now that's the way to take a nap," he thought to himself.

Trying not to disturb her, he shifted slightly to get more comfortable on the blanket. Unfortunately, the haystack wasn't conducive to comfort and he gave up before he could find an ideal spot. He was just glad that the awkward location hadn't hindered their sexual discovery. The last few hours had been totally unbelievable. Like a couple of teenagers, they couldn't keep their hands off each other, and had brought one another to completion over and over again. The years of pent-up frustration had finally found their release, like water bursting from a dam.

As he reflected on the morning's activities, Warrick felt arousal stir deep within him. Silently cursing his seemingly insatiable libido, he knew that he had to get Catherine to a better location before his desire took over again. The next time they made love, he wanted her to be surrounded by luxury, not by horses and hay. He shook her softly by the shoulder in an effort to try and rouse her.

"Babe, wake up," he said in a hushed voice.

"Mmmm…comfy…don't want to," she mumbled drowsily.

He smiled as she burrowed deeper into the crook of his arm and continued to sleep. Warrick didn't want to argue, but common sense told him that if he didn't do something fast, they would never make it out of the stables. He wriggled out from under her and went to gather up their clothes. He pulled on his pants and then threw everything else into an empty feed bag that he found on the floor. He turned back towards Catherine and saw that she was still curled up dozing on the blanket. Gently, he slid his arms under her sleeping form and began to wrap the blanket around her.

"Rick? What are you doing?" Catherine asked, still half-asleep.

"What I should've done hours ago."

"And that is?"

"Bring you up to the house to pleasure you fully and completely in your own bed."

"Oh…"

Without waiting for her permission, Warrick lifted her up and carried her across the yard. Knowing that she was naked underneath the blanket, Catherine didn't even try to break free. She just relaxed and enjoyed the journey back to the main house. Once they made it through the sliding doors, she directed him to the far wing and her bedroom.

Shutting the door behind them with his foot, Warrick gently released Catherine to stand on the ground. He threw aside the bag full of clothes and watched with great interest as she let the rough wool blanket fall to the floor. Her state of undress reignited the flame of desire in his breast. It took all the self-control he had to stop himself from ravaging her like a wild animal right then and there. Moving in close, Warrick traced the line of her mouth with his fingertip.

"You are beautiful, and I love you," he said.

Looking into his striking green eyes, Catherine felt weak in the knees. Her body craved his touch.

"No more pretty words Rick. Show me."

She stretched out on the bed and gave him a wicked come-hither smile. Warrick crawled up towards her, shedding his pants as he went. The weight of his body pressed her deep into the softness of the covers and Catherine's arms encircled his waist. She held on tight as he rolled over and positioned her on top.

Warrick tickled her ear and whispered, "Someone promised me a ride…"

Catherine swallowed, her mouth going dry from the heat of his suggestion.

She looked him in the eye and said, "Bareback, my favorite," and then proceeded to blush furiously.

Shocked by her own wanton admission, Catherine felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She knew it was crazy, _especially_ after the last few hours, but a part of her was still a little unsure around him. That shyness didn't last for long, because almost immediately Warrick responded,

"Giddy up."

She held his gaze for a moment and then let out a husky, suggestive laugh. In one quick motion, she straddled his thighs and trapped him beneath her.

"Someone once told me not to rush things and enjoy the pleasure. Well, you're trapped now, and I'm telling you the same thing. You'll just have to wait a little longer for that ride," she said, smiling seductively.

Running her fingers down Warrick's chest, Catherine stopped briefly to trace the outline of his stomach muscles. Continuing lower, she wrapped one hand around his erection while the other cupped his balls. She stroked his stiffness and gently lowered her mouth onto his flesh. Caressing the tip of him with her tongue, she explored the engorged contours of his manhood, and then took him deep into her mouth.

Warrick tangled his fingers through her hair, silently encouraging her not to stop. _Hell yeah,_ the way she was making him feel - the things she was doing with her mouth – she was driving him mad. His body began to throb as all the blood rushed towards his groin. He could feel the vibrations inside him, signaling a climax was near.

In a desperate attempt to delay his release, he gasped, "Wait…"

Catherine stopped all movement and raised her head to look at him. As she did, Warrick gripped her roughly by the arms and slid down between her legs so that his shaft pulsed against the wet, heated flesh of her core. Without a moment's hesitation, he pushed into her, filling her with his sex. Catherine moaned.

"Now ride me," Warrick ordered, as he thrust upwards.

Catherine rocked back and forth in a slow rhythm, working him deeper inside her. She traveled the length of his shaft, teasing him with every move she made. Her muscles gripped him and drew wordless cries from his lips. Warrick cupped her breasts, circling her nipples with his thumbs, and felt the skin tighten in response to his touch. Their pace increased and Catherine began to writhe against him with growing excitement. In an effort to take her over the edge, Warrick drove into her with a power that shook them both.

A deep growl escaped from Catherine's throat as the tremors of her orgasm took over. Unable to hold out any longer, Warrick joined her in the throes of ecstasy. They held tightly to one another as their bodies were rocked by the shockwaves of their climax. Gradually, the shuddering subsided and the world came back into focus.

Feeling weak as a kitten, Catherine collapsed on Warrick's chest while ripples of arousal continued to tingle through her tired limbs. Still buried deep inside her, Warrick shivered as he felt the small aftershocks run through Catherine's core. Too tired to move, they lay locked together until Warrick regained enough strength to shift them both into a more comfortable position under the covers.

As they rested, a cool breeze floated in through the window. The blistering heat of the past few days had finally broken, just like the barriers between them. Now, the air was fresh and carried with it the scent of Pinion pines. Catherine had always loved their perfume, but now, it would be forever linked in her memory with the gorgeous man sharing her bed.

In the silence of the late afternoon, Warrick's stomach gurgled. Catherine laughed.

"What's so funny sweetness?" he asked, tightening his grip around her waist.

"I haven't eaten for over 24 hours, and with all this physical activity I'm getting hungry. So sue me."

"Can't you live on my love alone?" she asked in a teasing voice.

"Okay, come on big boy, let's get you some fuel."

They threw on some clothes and tiptoed out to the kitchen in search of food. Even thought they tried to be quiet, Vincent caught them in the act of rummaging through the fridge. He gave them a stern look, as if they were children up to no good, and then commanded them back to their room.

"Miss, please let me take care of this for you," he said.

Holding hands, Catherine and Warrick walked back to their room and collapsed on the bed, succumbing to fits of laughter.

"Man, I feel like I've just been in the Principal's office," Warrick said, chuckling as he enveloped her in a hug.

"Yeah, totally," Catherine agreed.

"Now I know how Lindsey feels when I catch her doing something she shouldn't…But, you know, that man is worth his weight in gold and he is the soul of discretion. I'm sure that as Sam's butler he's seen _way_ more scandalous things than two half-naked adults necking in the kitchen."

Within a few minutes there was a quiet knock on the door, signaling that the Vincent had arrived. A cart piled high with a glorious assortment of food and a bottle of champagne greeted Catherine as she opened the door. Vincent was nowhere to be seen.

She wheeled the table into the room, pointed at the spread and said, "See? What did I tell you? Worth his weight in gold."

Catherine proceeded to push the cart out onto the deck so that they could enjoy the sunset as well as the food. Silence descended as they both tucked into the feast laid out before them, their hunger overcoming any attempt at conversation. As Warrick took a sip of champagne, he noted with some regret that this day had to end. The reality of their work, so full of death and destruction, would inevitably encroach on the paradise that he and Catherine had created. While he knew it was impossible to hold back the march of time, he didn't want to share her with anyone just yet. Warrick reached out for her, and she settled on his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing…I'm just so overwhelmed with happiness. I want this moment to go on forever."

Warrick laughed silently to himself. It was almost as if Catherine had read his mind. They really were more in tune with each other than he realized. If only they had discovered that connection sooner…but it didn't matter now, because they were here, together, in each other's arms.

"So what happens tomorrow?" she asked, looking at him with her piercing blue eyes.

"I don't know, babe. We'll figure things out as they come. All I know is that I want you all to myself for a while. I'm selfish like that." Warrick ran his fingers through her hair and lightly kissed her forehead.

"I don't want anyone to know about us just yet," he murmured against her skin.

"Although, I suppose I should really tell Nick. He's been there for me through..."

Gently placing her fingers over his lips, Catherine cut him off mid-sentence. She smiled and shook her head.

"Shh…Stop with the worrying. Like you said, we'll figure it out as it comes. For now, just shut up and kiss me you amazing man."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey Guys! Sorry it has taken me so long to get to the next chapter…I've had some _serious_ lack of inspiration. So, in attempt at resuscitation, I am going to try and focus on Nick and Sara for a bit – maybe that'll get the creativity flowing again.**

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The days slid past and a relative calm settled over the lab. Catherine and Warrick, true to their word, kept the discovery of their love for one another close to the vest. No one in the lab suspected a thing, not even Nick - everyone just figured that they were in a better mood because of the break in the heat.

And so the daily rituals of work continued almost without interruption, until Sara decided to take a few days off. Granted, her vacation might raise some suspicions, but she needed to re-focus, find her centre and come back to work a 'changed woman'. She knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but her job at the lab, and the friends she had made were too important to give up without a fight.

As Sara pulled out of the parking lot, a wave of emotions engulfed her. She thought about what had happened between her and Grissom and could feel the tears about to spill onto her face "_Come on girl, hold on, at least until you get to the apartment_," her inner voice said. Sara shook herself and pointed the Denali towards home.

Twenty minutes later she pulled into her parking spot and turned off the ignition. For a moment she rested her head on the steering wheel and just listened to the ticking of the cooling engine. She let out a long sigh and then wearily made her way to the apartment, where she proceed to shut the blinds, take the phone off the hook and change into her favorite oversized t-shirt.

Like an injured animal licking its wounds, she curled up in bed and burrowed deep under the sheets. She knew sleep would be impossible, but she needed to find a corner of the universe that was dark and quiet to try and silence the screaming that was filling her brain.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Back at the lab, Catherine was busy telling Nick about Sara and her impromptu vacation.

"You know Nicky, it was weird. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but I could see there was something big bothering her. I tried to get Ecklie and Gil to give up the goods about who she pissed off this time, but they were both silent as the grave."

With a trace of annoyance in his voice, Nick responded, "Well, maybe she's just tired of seeing our faces day in and day out. Just because she took some time off doesn't mean that she's in trouble."

Catherine looked at him sideways, a bit surprised by his defensive tone.

"I don't know Nick. Her history would say otherwise…Oh well, no time to think about this now. I've got a double homicide that needs my attention. I'll catch you later."

"Okay Cath, see you 'round."

Nick grimaced inwardly. "_Boy that was smooth - You might as well have just hung a sign on you chest that says: I Love Sara. Catherine's no dummy. Eventually she'll guess how you feel and then you'll never get any peace_."

Nick realized that even if Catherine figured it out, it wouldn't stop him from worrying about Sara. Now was the time that she needed him the most and he would be there for her. He decided to go see Grissom. Maybe he could get a few vacation days off. As long as he didn't give into the temptation of hauling off on Gil, things would be just fine…

-x-x-x-x-x-

Twelve hours later, Nick's shift was over and he was a free man – at least for a couple of days. He still wasn't totally sure how he had managed to convince Grissom to let him go, but that didn't matter. Right now, all he wanted to do was get to Sara's. She had been alone for the better part of the day and he was concerned that she had spent most of it wallowing in self-pity. He quickly drove over to Sara's place, ran up the stairs, and pounded on the door. After about a minute without an answer, he started yelling.

"I know you're in there…It's me Nick. You can't hide forever. Let me in. You shouldn't be alone."

Worried that Nick's shouting would piss off her neighbours, Sara finally relented and let him in.

"You don't have to break the door down, you know," she said.

"I think I do Sar."

"Look, I just don't want to be around anyone right now. Don't you get that?"

Nick lifted up his hands in a gesture of self-defense. "Hey, I get it, but it's just not that healthy to wallow. I know better than most that when life deals you a hand that you think will break you; you just get up and take baby steps forward. After a while, when you look back where you've been, it will seem a lot further away and not quite so scary. These things don't have power over us unless you let them."

Sara smiled at him and asked, "So when did you have time to get your Doctorate in Philosophy? I had you pegged more as the 'get out your frustrations with some extreme sports' type."

Nick grinned.

"There's a time and a place for everything. I learned the hard way that putting your life on the line isn't the way to find peace."

She looked at him thoughtfully and said, "I don't need a baby sitter Nick. This hasn't broken me. Don't worry; I'm not going to start drinking again. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me implode like that."

No matter what she said and how tough she made herself out to be, Nick could see the hurt and betrayal behind Sara's eyes. He needed to make her understand that he was here for her, no strings attached.

"Hey Sara, I'm not here to spy on you. I'm here as a friend. If you want to talk, talk. If not, that's okay too. And even if you want to use me as an emotional punching bag, feel free."

Sara took a minute to process Nick's declaration, and then, breaking her silence she asked, "You know what I really want?"

"No, what's that?"

"I want to have a chick flick night, gorge myself on ice cream and have a good cry."

Nick smiled to himself. "_Just like home._" Having grown up surrounded by sisters, this was just the kind of emotional therapy he excelled at. He couldn't count the number of times he had ended up in the middle of a 'men are pigs' marathon.

"Okay, so if you are anything like the other women in my life, I think 'Say Anything', 'Pretty Woman', 'Casablanca' and 'Two Weeks Notice' would be on the list of possible candidates."

She looked at him in amazement. "How did you…?"

"Hey, with _five_ sisters something was bound to rub off eventually…Come on. Get dressed. You're coming with me to the video store."

Sensing he wasn't going to take "No" for an answer, Sara gave in and said, "Alright, you're on."

As she made her way back to the bedroom to change, a small grin stole over her face. With Nick around, getting through the day wasn't going to be as difficult as she had imagined. And even though she was loath to admit it, she was glad he was there for her.


End file.
